By Justin Palmer LONDON, March 8 - A deepening injury crisis has
left AS Roma short of firepower for their visit to Middlesbrough
in one of eight UEFA Cup last-16 first leg games on Thursday. Roma, whose record run of 11 consecutive league wins ended
at the weekend, are missing Italy striker Vincenzo Montella who
is out with a recurrence of a back problem. Montella joins long-term absentees Francesco Totti and
Shabani Nonda on the sidelines, leaving coach Luciano Spalletti
just one recognised striker in 16-year-old youth team player
Stefano Okaka. Brazilian winger Mancini could be handed the lone striker's
role because of Okaka's inexperience at the top level. Brazilian goalkeeper Doni is also injured and will be
replaced by Italy under-21 international Gianluca Curci. Boro, who reached the same stage of the competition last
season before bowing out to Portugal's Sporting, are without
defender Stuart Parnaby. The right back will miss both legs of
the tie after suffering a hamstring injury at the weekend. Former European champions Olympique Marseille should be
fully rested for the visit of Russia's Zenit St Petersburg. Marseille fielded their B team in a 0-0 draw against arch
rivals Paris St Germain at the Parc des Princes on Sunday
because of safety concerns for their players and fans. Lille, third in Ligue 1, will fancy their chances of
establishing an advantage against Sevilla having not lost at
their Stade Metropole home for five months. Lille's Slovenian playmaker Milenko Acimovic is out for the
rest of the season. Sevilla travel without Italian defender Enzo
Maresca who is out for a month after suffering a small Achilles
tendon tear at the weekend. FULL HOUSE Steaua Bucharest are set to be roared on again by a capacity
42,000 crowd for the visit of Real Betis to the Lia Manoliu
stadium, their temporary home while their own pitch is re-laid. Central defenders Sorin Ghionea and Dorin Goian have
recovered from injury. Steaua's city rivals Rapid Bucharest also have home
advantage for the first leg with Hamburg SV but must cope
without key midfielder Marius Maldarasanu who is injured. Rapid, who began in the first qualifying round back in July,
knocked out Hamburg's Bundesliga rivals Hertha Berlin in the
last round and coach Razvan Lucescu is confident of taking
another scalp. "We know German teams well and Rapid have made a good job
against them so far. We have nothing to lose and everything to
gain," he said. Palermo, who have reached the last 16 in their debut
European season, will be without injured influential playmaker
Eugenio Corini for their home leg against Germany's Schalke 04. Serie A rivals Udinese have no injury worries as they
welcome Bulgaria's Levski Sofia. The UEFA Cup will provide some
relief to Udinese who have not won a league game this year and
have slipped to 15th place in the Serie A standings. Swiss league leaders Basel and Racing Strasbourg, separated
by 140 km, meet again at St Jakob Park Stadium. The sides clashed in October with the French side enjoying a
2-0 away win in the group stage. Australian midfielder Scott Chipperfield is one of seven
Basel players injured. Heavy snow in Switzerland has put the
game in doubt, with a decision to be taken on match day.
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